Monday, March 11, 2013

Last week I had an amazing catch up with some old uni friends at the Milk Bar in Redfern. Having once been a fan of Cafe Ish in Surry Hills, I was devastated to hear that it was closing down. Thankfully the owners have since opened Milk Bar in Redfern and have kept the amazing softshell crab omelette. In addition we tried the chicken wings which were deliciously moorish and crispy AND perfect for sharing! ... and the sauce was really addictive

One of the "dessert" things we had to try on the menu was their milk shakes. We decided to get one each to mix and match although one was probably more than enough for the three of us!

PBJ

PBJ = peanut butter jelly

A truly mind blowing concoction of a milk shake for anyone that is a fan of peanut butter and jelly! The only fault I could find with the milkshake was that it was served at room temperature instead at a icy temperature that I expected - perhaps the peanut butter was at room temperature?

Soft shell crab omelette with fries

Al's freaking awesome chicken wings with crab sauce

more fries

... because one side serve wasn't enough

Sundae

The food is awesome, the service is laid back, and the parking is easy! Will definitely be back to try out some of their other milkshakes and the burgers!

Sunday, March 3, 2013

I think most would agree that Sydney has some of the most amazing views in the world. The Pantry in Manly definitely portrays some of Sydney's majestic views, with an unobstructed ever-expansive view of Manly beach. Having decided that we were going to avoid rushing home from work and trying to whip up some form of a special dinner, M decided to book The Pantry in for our Valentine's day dinner date. It was a perfect setting for Valentine's Day, and the staff were more than accommodating to us running late. There was also a decent amount of space between the tables, giving each couple a sense of privacy that can be hard to find for Valentine's day dinners around Sydney restaurants. The set menu (from memory) was around $90 per person and consisted of 3 courses (plus bread and olives) and a glass of bubbly. While the prices are probably slightly hiked up from their usual prices, it was definitely one of our better (and more reasonably priced) Valentine's day dinner dates!

Amazing views of Manly beach

Bread basket

Olives

Herb crusted king salmon fillet

Herb crusted king salmon fillet served with potato salad, red cabbage sauerkraut and pine nuts. The salmon was wonderfully tender with a smooth silky texture, and contrasted well with the tangy sauerkraut and creamy potato salad.

Steak frites

Perhaps it was because it was Valentine's day and the kitchen was overworked, but we found the steak quite tough and slightly overcooked for a medium-rare steak. Having said that, the chips were freshly made and perfectly crunchy.

Flourless chocolate gateau served with eton mess

Definitely the highlight of the night for me! The flourless chocolate gateau dessert was divine! The chocolate gateau was moist, rich and dense, and was well complimented with the sweet juicy plump berries. The eton mess that consisted of fluffy and crispy meringue pieces provided a lightness to the dessert.

Happy Valentine's Day!

So I know this post is a few weeks belated, but I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's Day!

Tucked away on the quieter Grosvenor Street in Neutral Bay, Central Baking Depot provides a great one-stop cafe for coffee, pastries/baked goods and take-away bread. As the "younger brother" to Bourke Street Bakery, the consistency of reliably crunchy and chewy sourdough bread is apparent here too minus the line of customers!

Pork and Fennel Sausage roll $4.50

I really enjoyed the light, buttery and flaky pastry that encased the pork and fennel sausage roll, but was slightly disappointed with the bland-tasting pork and fennel filling. I love fennel but unfortunately I couldn't taste any fennel-goodness in the sausage roll today.

Sourdough fruit toast $3

The 2 slices of sourdough fruit toast was really delicious, especially when served with a side of ricotta cheese. The bread was generously filled with mixed nuts and cranberries.

Overall Central Baking Depot is a great cafe to stop by for a quick bite and coffee. The food menu isn't extensive, but then I suppose the main focus is on the bread and a few pastry items. The service is friendly and relatively quick, and did I mention there is no lines?

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